


The Ghost Train

by Suzanne_Ely



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-03 18:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10972872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzanne_Ely/pseuds/Suzanne_Ely
Summary: There are strange things happening at the funfair.If only the Doctor could realise it before it’s too late…





	1. Chapter 1

“I wish you knew where we landed for once,” sighed Barbara.

She was sitting in the chair, her face expressing her current lack of hope. She was feeling homesick, much to Ian’s concern. Despite his best efforts to cheer her up, her mood wasn’t improving, quite on the contrary. He had urged the Doctor to bring them home but the old man had grumbled something about them being ungrateful. Of course he had been trying to bring them home; it was not his fault if the TARDIS wasn’t working properly.

“If you hadn’t kidnapped us in the first place, I wouldn’t have to beg!” Had shouted Ian.

“If you didn’t follow my granddaughter you wouldn’t be there!” Had shouted the Doctor back.

Barbara was still feeling homesick, the Doctor was in a foul mood and Ian was angry. Susan was standing at the controls. From her vantage point, she could see her grandfather and her teachers. The atmosphere was heavy and she found herself hoping that not only the Doctor would know where they materialised, but that they would be back on Earth.

She found herself holding her breath as the scanner showed them their surroundings.

“Oh my God,” screamed Barbara. “It’s Earth!”

A familiar countryside had appeared on the screen and the teacher jumped on her feet, her face glowing with happiness. The Doctor was smiling with satisfaction. Ian was frowning. Knowing him, he probably found it too good to be true.

“Oh yes,” confirmed the Doctor, “it is Earth indeed!”

He failed to give the year and Susan started worrying again.

_It was too good to be true._

“Let’s see where we are.”

They exited the TARDIS and found themselves in a clearing surrounding by trees. Birds could be heard and the descending sun suggested that it was early evening. The temperature was mild and Barbara breathed in heavily, obviously overwhelmed by joy.

Ian pointed toward a path that was leading in what seemed to be a forest and the group followed him without arguing. He eyed the Doctor suspiciously, but the old man’s face wasn’t betraying any emotion. They walked in silence until they reached a concrete road. They could make a town in the distance and Susan guessed that Barbara was refraining from running towards it. They kept walking, realising that the town wasn’t as close as it appeared in the first place. Also, there seemed to be some sort of camp outside the town. When Ian realised that it wasn’t a camp, but an old-fashioned funfair, his first concern was for Barbara. She was a history teacher and therefore had already identified the time period. This wasn’t 1963. This was the 1920s. Ian felt disappointed. Barbara had tears in her eyes. The Doctor was smiling and his eyes were shining.

“A funfair!” He exclaimed.

And just as he was taking a step towards the entrance, the sun went down, the colourful lights on the entrance arch went on, and the music started.

It was as if the funfair had come to life just as they arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

“Come, my child!” 

The Doctor grabbed Susan and entered the funfair without even checking if Ian and Barbara were following.

“Sure Doctor, let’s get some fun, why not? It’s so nice of you to ask for our opinion!” Mumbled the science teacher before entering too.

They couldn’t help but admire their surroundings. The funfair wasn’t as big as they were now in 1963, but the couple could feel the familiar atmosphere with the stalls selling candies and chocolate, those offering to win teddy bears and various useless prices. They could even make a merry-go-round in the distance. The Doctor and Susan were heading in that direction, both obviously enjoying the funfair. 

“Wait!” Called Ian who was also getting in the mood. “I want to try that first!”

“That” was a shooting range.

“How many ducks will you shoot today, Sir? Fancy a nice gift for the lovely lady?” Asked the stallholder handing Ian the rifle. 

Barbara noted that he wasn’t looking at the teacher but seemed unable to take his eyes off the Doctor. The way he was staring at the old man was unnerving and she shivered. Ian missed the first duck and the Doctor chuckled.

“Hey! I’m out of practice! Be kind with me!” Complained the shooter before hitting his target. “Ah! See? It’s coming back.”

“Hmm mmm.”

Susan had wandered off to check the variety of candies in display at a nearby stall. Because she didn’t want to keep her out of sight, Barbara failed to notice the stallholder discreetly tempering with his rack of duck. She heard Ian’s next shot hit something metallic and ricochet. 

“Duck!” Yelled the science teacher.

Barbara didn’t think twice and obeyed. She saw Susan do the same despite her not being in the close vicinity of the danger. The stallholder had vanished.

“Ooch!” Screamed the Doctor as Ian flattened him on the ground.

The next seconds felt like hours for Barbara who didn’t dare moving.

“It’s alright, we can get up now,” suddenly said her colleague.

“Are you sure?” She asked, her voice slightly trembling.

“Yes. The bullet lodged itself in the stall’s structure. We are safe now.”

He got up and helped the Doctor do the same. 

“You almost got us all killed!” Complained the old man. “Weapons are evil for a reason! Because they kill innocent people most of the time!”

Ian thought it best not to argue with him and remained silent, his mind racing. Barbara suggested getting some sweets for Susan, who had never tasted the traditional funfair candies. 

“What about checking the town before it’s too late in the evening?” Suggested Ian, trying his best to conceal the fact that he was eager to leave the funfair.

“I promised Susan that we would try the merry-go-round. Can you imagine that they are still very popular in the 21st and 22nd century?” Replied the Doctor, who seemed in high spirits despite the little incident from before.

The science teacher sighed and followed them. Barbara walked at his side and managed to get him to slow down a bit in order to talk to him without being heard.

“Something is bothering you, I can tell,” she whispered.

“It was no accident on the shooting range. Something is wrong and I fear for the Doctor’s safety,” he whispered back.

“I felt something earlier. The stallholder kept staring at the Doctor in a creepy way… I wish we could leave now.”

They had reached the merry-go-round and the stallholder welcomed them warmly.

“What a lovely family! I take it you want to have a good time here! You won’t be disappointed. Wonders, happiness and originality are the key words here!”


	3. Chapter 3

Susan couldn’t make up her mind. She was in awe in front of the carousel that was truly beautiful. The wooden figures represented a circus with its wild animals and carriages. The girl finally chose a white horse while Barbara decided to ride on the elephant next to her. She and Ian had decided to keep an eye on both Susan and the Doctor.

“Why don’t you travel in the Ringmaster’s carriage?” Offered the stallholder to the Doctor who immediately accepted.

His companion followed suit; wondering why the man had insisted on the word “Ringmaster”. There was indeed something odd here. They both stepped inside a well-decorated carriage and sat in front of each other on the comfortable cushions that had been placed on the bench. 

The carousel started and with it, its timeless music.

“Isn’t it refreshing to enjoy the simple ways of life, hmm?”

The Doctor seemed very happy. The teacher had to admit that he hadn’t seen him in such a good mood for a long time. He looked behind him, through the rear opening of their vehicle and saw Susan and Barbara laughing on their mounts. They too were happy, but Ian knew that Barbara was sharing his concern. Both could sense that something was wrong with this place. He caught the old man’s gaze on him and smiled.

“I’ve never been a huge fan of merry-go-rounds,” he lied.

“Really? What a shame! Of all inventions, this particular one is obviously a wonder of technology for its time.”

The Doctor went on about funfairs being the true witness of progress and society, but Ian wasn’t listening. The old man was still talking when the carousel stopped. For once, he didn’t sounded like the insufferable “I know better than you” Doctor, but more like a kid who is too happy to share his knowledge. The thought made the teacher smiled. But as quickly as it had appeared, his smile disappeared. An alarming crack came from above and as Ian looked up, he realised that a part of the structure was about to fall on them.

“Aaah!” Screamed the Doctor when his companion violently pushed him out of the way. 

Both men fell off the merry-go-round and landed on the dusty ground. Susan let out a cry of fear when she realised what had just happened and both she and Barbara ran towards Ian and the Doctor. The stallholder was nowhere to be seen.

“Grandfather!” Called the girl.

The old man seemed a bit disoriented and she helped him get up before hugging him.

“I got so scared!”

“That’s enough!” Yelled Ian. “There is something going on here and I don’t want to know what it is! It’s getting dangerous by the minute, so let’s get the hell out of this place at once!”

His outburst didn’t have the expected outcome. The Doctor closed his arms around his granddaughter in a protective way. Both looked quite shocked. 

“Aren’t you overreacting a little?” Asked the old man. “Small incidents are to be expected from time to time. Don’t forget when we are. Safety measures aren’t the ones that you are used to in your own time. In fact, incidents like the ones we encountered were an inspiration for those who came up with all those safety measures!”

Ian and Barbara remained speechless. They were convinced that the incidents weren’t random and that the Doctor was targeted, yet they had no direct proof and they didn’t want to upset Susan.

“Alright,” said the science teacher. “Let’s have it your way. What would you like to do?”

“I would like us to take a ride on the Ghost Train!”


	4. Chapter 4

“I don’t like this,” whispered Barbara.

“Neither do I, but what could I do?”

They were walking behind the Doctor and Susan. The girl had already forgotten the incident at the merry-go-round. She was admiring the stalls and tents that were all very tempting for a girl her age.

“Come and see the bearded woman! She is one of a kind!” Called a man wearing a ridiculous suit.

The group walked past him, smiling.

“Did you see that?” Asked hurriedly Barbara, grabbing Ian’s arm. “Did you see how he looked at the Doctor? I could swear there was hatred in his eyes!”

Her colleague was about to reply when the old man made a sudden turn to the left. They quickly joined him and the four of them remained standing on the spot, admiring the building that was a few feet away.

“It’s impressive,” said Ian.

“It’s scary,” complained Barbara.

“It looks like a haunted house,” decided Susan.

“It is meant to be,” the Doctor chuckled, before taking his granddaughter’s hand and guide her towards the Ghost Train.

Their two companions exchanged a worried look. Just as they were about to pass a purple tent, a woman rushed in front of them, effectively blocking their way. Before they realised it, she was holding one of their hands, palm upwards. 

“Let the fortune-teller reveal your destiny to you!”

“Wait for us!” Yelled Ian. 

Susan and the Doctor turned around. They seemed hesitant. The old man was obviously eager to get on the Ghost Train, but the girl was willing to obey.

“Oh look, grandfather, a house of mirrors! Let’s go inside while they get a peak at their future!”

“Oh no, no, no…” Kept repeating Barbara when she saw where the two of them were heading. 

She tried to break free from the fortune-teller but the woman was quite strong and she managed to drag them both inside her tent.

“Now, tell me what you wish to know. Is it about love, children, work, travels and opportunities?”

Ian and Barbara ignored her. They were looking at a frame on the wall. It was the portrait of an old man who they actually knew quite well.

“Who is that?” Asked the science teacher harshly.

The woman followed his gaze and her features darkened.

“That, Love, is the Ringmaster.

“Who?” Asked Barbara.

“The Ringmaster. May he suffer as much as he made us…”

Just as she was cursing him, they heard a terrified scream followed by cries for help.

“Susan, Doctor!” Called the science teacher while rushing out the tent.

Horrified, he looked at the house of mirrors. Smoke was starting to come out of the building. He and Barbara could make flames inside, but they couldn’t be sure how bad the situation was because the mirrors were reflecting everything, including the fire…

Ian ran towards the entrance, but Barbara managed to prevent him from entering.

“You can’t go inside, it’s far too dangerous! We need to get them out another way.”

“I have an idea!” Shouted Ian. “Try to find some help in the meantime.”

She nodded and looked around. There was no one to be seen. Even the fortune-teller seemed to have vanished.

“Doctor! Susan! Follow my voice!” Called Ian. 

“Oh, is that you Chatterton? We got lost and got a little scare, but we are fine now! Are you done with the fortune-teller, hmm? What did she say?”

The science teacher turned towards Barbara, his face betraying his confusion.

“I can’t believe this. They are caught in a fire, their lives may be in danger and he asks me about the fortune-teller? He is mad. Completely mad!”


	5. Chapter 5

Susan didn’t look fine at all when she came out the house of mirrors. She was holding the Doctor’s arm tight and Barbara noticed that she had tears in her eyes.  
“Can we go home, now, grandfather?” She begged.  
The history teacher felt sorry for the girl who only referred to the TARDIS as “home” when she was really scared. The old man, being his usual selfish self, decided that they were going to ride on the Ghost Train.   
“Clearly even you can see how ill wise it is,” gently argued Barbara, spontaneously taking Susan’s side.  
“Yes, grandfather, please let’s go away…”  
The Doctor ignored both women and started walking towards the Ghost Train, dragging his granddaughter along with him. The poor girl was too afraid to let go of him…   
“What a selfish…”   
Ian didn’t finish his sentence. His colleague had cast him a dark glance, probably because he didn’t back her up when she needed it.  
“Why didn’t you say anything?” She attacked him.   
“And said what? You know how stubborn he can be!”  
A thought crossed Barbara’s mind.  
“The portrait in the fortune-teller’s tent! We need to show it to him!”  
She ran back but stopped dead on her tracks at the entrance.  
“Ian!” She called, obviously puzzled.  
He joined her and discovered, just like her a few seconds ago, that the tent was empty. There was nothing in it. No furniture, no fortune-teller.   
“How…?” Started the history teacher.  
She was suddenly aware of the heavy atmosphere filling the funfair. The fun has gone definitely. The couple was eager to leave.   
“How come the Doctor doesn’t realise the danger surrounding him?” Wondered Barbara out loud.  
Ian shrugged.   
“The man is irresponsible. I can’t understand how he managed when he and Susan were alone. Poor girl.”  
“Susan! We need to help her, she is terrified and it will only get worse if we let her board that Ghost Train!”  
They both turned around and realised that the Doctor and his granddaughter hadn’t waited for them. They were already entering the haunted house harbouring the Ghost Train.


	6. Chapter 6

“So, my pretties, do you wish to visit my humble home?”  
“Our humble home, Fiona.”  
“Of course, Flora!”  
Susan couldn’t help but laugh at this exchange. The twins who were operating the Ghost Train were dressed in a macabre way but their acting was very convincing.  
“I would be delighted,” said the Doctor cheerfully.  
One of the twins grinned and looked straight into the girl’s eyes:  
“And you my beauty? Do you wish it as well?”  
Susan nodded, but clang on her grandfather’s arm. Fiona and Flora exchanged a glance and then smiled at their two customers.  
“En voiture!” They announced in a perfect chorus.  
The Doctor and Susan climbed inside one of the minecarts that had found a new life in the funfair. The twins waited until they were seated and let go a hysterical laugher while operating the lever starting the train.  
Departure was a bit bumpy and the girl had to hold on to her grandfather to stabilise herself.   
“How can you like that kind of thing?” She complained. “We’ll end up all bruised!”  
The Doctor didn’t reply. The smile on his face convinced her that he was enjoying this distraction and she decided to follow his example. When the train entered a pitch dark tunnel, she wasn’t so sure anymore that she wanted to enjoy the adventure. Flashes of light would appear from time to time, illuminating a grotesque face, or some desperate skeleton. This was the scariest ride she had ever made during her time on Earth and she made a mental note never to enter a Ghost Train anymore. The Doctor was chuckling, obviously amused by the collection of baroque and supposedly scary items in the haunted house. He was looking forward to the part where the stallholders would pretend to be supernatural creatures and would try to frighten them. It would probably work with Susan. The minecart slowed down as the flashes of light became sparse until they went off completely. The vehicle sped up and Susan felt a cold shiver going down her spine. She might never have been inside a Ghost Train, but something told her that this wasn’t normal. She was convinced of it when her grandfather held her close to him. She couldn’t see his face in the darkness but she guessed that he wasn’t smiling anymore. The minecart was still speeding up and the Doctor tightened his grip around his granddaughter in a protective way. The minecart shook violently as it took a curve, effectively breaking the occupants’ embrace and sending them flying out. Susan’s terrified scream was cut abruptly when she landed heavily on the floor, near a pile of bones made out of wood and crudely painted. She tried to collect herself and tried to locate the old man.   
“Grandfather!” She called.  
There was no reply. Everything was silent. Too silent. The girl stumbled towards where she guessed were the railway and the vehicle. She soon touched a metallic structure. As she feared, the train had derailed. She tried to find a way on the other side of the tracks, where she supposed the Doctor had been projected.  
“Grandfather,” she called again.  
Awful ideas came to her mind. What if he was laying somewhere injured, unable to call for help? What if he was bleeding out while she was struggling to see something in the darkness? She felt tears running freely on her cheeks and she decided that she couldn’t take care of the situation alone.  
“Help!” She cried as loud as she could. “We need help! There was an accident! Help!”  



	7. Chapter 7

Barbara and Ian hurried towards the Ghost Train, but were too late. The Doctor and Susan were already on board the train. The science teacher cursed their bad luck, but his colleague barely noticed him. She had entered the small box office that was also used as a control room and she was looking through everything she could find. Ian checked for the stallholders, but there was no one to be seen. A light drizzle was now falling from grey clouds. The funfair looked even more depressing and deserted.  
“Ian!” Called his companion.  
There was some excitement in her voice and he wondered what she had found. She was holding a leather bound ledger in her hand.   
“You have to see this!”  
He joined her in the box office and she flipped the pages. The funfair’s whole history was right in front of their eyes. Someone had written a diary about the events leading to the place’s decay and had documented it with newspapers clips.   
Ian could tell that Barbara was moved by what she was reading, but he was getting increasingly worried. Susan’s scream instantly brought them back to reality and they remained paralysed by fear for a brief moment. Then they heard her cries for help and didn’t loose another second. The history teacher operated the lever to stop the train. Her colleague urged her to find a way to put the lights back on while he rushed inside the Ghost Train.  
“Maybe I should have waited for Barbara to put the lights on first,” he thought while stumbling on the tracks and various objects he couldn’t identify.   
He felt quite relieved when yellow bulbs went on. Seconds later, Barbara was at his side.   
“We’re coming, Susan! Hold on!” Yelled Ian to cheer the girl up.  
They easily found her. She was sitting on the floor, crying, her face smeared with dirt. She didn’t need to tell them what had happened, the scene spoke for itself. While Barbara comforted Susan, the science teacher looked around in search for any clues as to the Doctor’s whereabouts. He managed to find a hidden door, set in the wooden wall, that was probably meant for the stallholders to enter unnoticed and scare the travellers during their journey.   
“Where is Grandfather?” Sobbed Susan.  
“He is safe,” assured Barbara with such confidence that the girl stared at her, puzzled.  
“How can you be so sure?”  
The history teacher smiled:  
“Because the stallholders wouldn’t hurt their leader. They have spent over a decade looking for him. All they want is their funfair to be popular again.”  
Susan frowned:  
“What are you talking about? This doesn’t make any sense!”  
Ian squatted down in front of her and pulled a picture from his jacket pocket.  
“Do you recognise him?”  
“That’s Grandfather!” Screamed the girl.  
“No, that’s the Ringmaster. The man who brought good luck and fortune to a little countryside funfair.”  



	8. Chapter 8

Eyes closed, the old man remained perfectly still, trying to take in his surroundings. He wasn’t in the Ghost Train anymore. Things were a little blurry, though. He remembered hitting his head on the ground, he remembered silhouettes standing over him. They carried him away. He had lost consciousness to wake up here. But where was “here”? And what happened to Susan?

“Susan!” He called, failing to maintain his concentration.  
He struggled to sit and was helped by a woman dressed as a fortune-teller. Her face was expressing various emotions, but the Doctor saw that she cared.  
“Easy Ringmaster,” she said gently. “You hit your head pretty hard. You should rest.”

He was indeed feeling a bit groggy. He needed a few moments to catch his breath. He had been laying on a small bed, inside a gypsy caravan that was quite crowded at the moment.  
“I know you,” whispered the old man, recognising the stallholder from the shooting range, the carousel owner and the twins from the Ghost Train.  
“Of course you do,” smiled the fortune-teller, who was sitting next to him.  
“I knew that you would come back eventually, Ringmaster,” she added. “It was in the cards.”  
“She failed to tell us that it would take so many years!” Complained one of the twins.  
“What?” Asked the old man. “What are you talking about? And why do you keep calling me Ringmaster? I’m the Doctor!”  
Tension rose instantly. An awkward silence took place and anger appeared on some of the faces.  
“Maybe he got into an accident and lost his memories!”  
The fortune-teller seemed desperate to explain his behaviour.  
“Yeah... right. Then why did he leave without any notice ten years ago?” Shouted the carousel owner.  
“I didn’t leave, I’ve never been here before! It’s the first time I even see you!”  
“Damn you! You could at least be brave enough to admit it! You abandoned us to our fate and you came back to see what’s to save! Now that you have seen in which state the funfair is, you just play dumb to avoid the consequences! It doesn’t work like this! You have a responsibility towards us!”  
“Nonsense!”  
The old man realised that the stallholder was holding one of the guns from his shooting range and he couldn’t help but worry that he might actually use it.

One of the twins threw an object on his lap. The old man took it and his eyes widened with surprise. He was holding a frame in which was a picture of himself. The fortune-teller put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
“Can’t you see that he doesn’t remember? He didn’t fake that reaction. I can feel that it’s not an act.”  
“It’s me...” Whispered the Doctor. “How can it be? Why don’t I remember?”  
He looked up. Everyone seemed to share the same confusion now. All anger had disappeared from the men and women’s faces.  
“Why don’t we tell you the story of the funfair from the beginning?” Suggested the fortune-teller. “Maybe it will trigger some memories...”


	9. Chapter 9

They were all gathered around the Doctor and the fortune-teller, an audience for a story they knew by heart.

“Twelve years ago, we were struggling to survive. We had left our respective funfairs to start our own. We wanted it to be a happy place for us to live in and a joyful place for everyone who would look for entertainment. Competition was hard and our old bosses didn’t make it easy for us, trying to undermine all our efforts. They wanted us back, of course, but we wouldn’t hear about it. We wanted to remain free. We didn’t have a leader, back then. Then one day, you came. We recognised you for one of our own at first sight. You looked around and mocked us. You called us amateurs. I would never forget this day... Such arrogance, such self confidence and yet you were so charismatic...”

The fortune-teller rested her hand on the Doctor’s and smile. It was pretty obvious that she had feelings for the old man. The twins chuckled and went on with the story, finishing each other’s sentences. “We were upset of course...”

“...but we were also impressed. We needed someone like you...”

“...to run the funfair, so we offered you a job.”

“And you said yes. You agreed...”

“...to become our Ringmaster.”

The carousel owner interrupted them:

“No one ever disputed your leadership. In fact, your skills made you the obvious choice. We never questioned your decisions. You were strict, but fair. Under your guidance, the funfair started making a name for itself. We became famous enough to consider settling in one place and have people travel to visit us instead of us traveling to get to them.”

“It was a blast,” added the shooting range stallholder. “Everything was going great, we were happy and it showed. But one night...”

“You simply vanished,” whispered the fortune-teller.

“We never expected you to abandon us...”

“...we thought something terrible had happened.”

“There was no sign of struggle in your caravan, but the fact that you left apparently in a hurry, leaving everything behind was worrying at least,” explained the carousel owner. “We searched for you, but never found any clue of your whereabouts.After a few days, we got the police involved. They didn’t take us seriously and suggested that we got rid of our leader.”

“We never knew what happened...” Sighed the fortune-teller. “Soon the funfair started having difficulties. Without you, everything seemed so complicated... We weren’t happy anymore and it showed. We got less visitors, the funfair started to decay... We kept it running because that’s what we do and because it’s our only home, but...”

“So when we saw you,” continued the carousel owner, “we were both happy and angry, as you can easily understand. We needed you so bad and you were just pretending to be someone else, walking around with your family as if nothing had ever happened!”

“We couldn’t guess that you had forgotten us...”

“...it never crossed our minds. We got used to the idea...”

“...that you grew tired of us and decided to leave one night.We’re sorry.”

“Will you help us restore the funfair to its former glory?” Asked the shooting range stallholder.

They all stared at the Doctor, eyes full of hope.


	10. Chapter 10

Barbara, Ian and Susan were ushered in the caravan. The girl ran to her grandfather and hugged him, without trying to hide how worried she had been about him. Ian remained at the door, staring at the stallholders.

The carousel owner had found them outside the Ghost Train and had invited them to follow him.

“Your friend is with us. He asked for you to join us. He has something to tell you.”

While Susan was only too happy to comply, Ian and Barbara exchanged a concerned look. They feared that something had happened to the Doctor. Did the funfair’s residents threaten to harm them if he didn’t do exactly as he was told?

Ian wasn’t expecting to find such a relaxed assembly. Everyone seemed happy, even the Doctor who was laughing as Susan hugged him.

“Come on my child, I can’t breath anymore!”

She freed him and sat next to him, while and Barbara were offered a stool. “Would you mind if we remained here for a little while?” Asked the old man. His companions’ faces expressed their surprise and he went on:

“The funfair isn’t very popular anymore, they asked for my help.”

“Of course they did,” grumbled Ian in a low voice. “And you couldn’t say ‘no’ obviously.”

Barbara rolled her eyes: “And what are we supposed to do while you help them?”

“Oh, you could be...”

“...part of the funfair!” Explained the twins. “I could teach you how to operate the carousel,” the owner offered to Susan whose eyes started to shine with anticipation.

“Alright,” sighed Ian. “There is no point of arguing anyway. We stay.”

“I told you they would accept. I read it in the cards!” Exclaimed the fortune-teller proudly.

“Speaking of which,” intervened Barbara, “I would be very much interested in learning your art...”

“But there is one condition,” suddenly said the Doctor in a rather authoritative tone. “I will help you restore the funfair’s reputation, but I will train my successor in the process. When I believe him to be ready, he is to take my place as a Ringmaster and I will be free to go.”

The stallholders agreed and left the caravan one by one, thanking the Doctor as they went away. Susan followed the carousel owner and Barbara walked away with the fortune-teller, leaving Ian alone with the Doctor.

“There is something bothering you, isn’t it? Asked the science teacher. “What? Me? Of course not there isn’t.”

But he wasn’t convincing enough so Ian insisted upon knowing what was on his mind.

“Young man, I believe those people when they say I was there being their Ringmaster a long time ago. The fact that I don’t remember any of it has only one explanation: my future self will meet them in their past. They would remember now me as my venue happened in their past, but since it hasn’t happen to me yet...”

“You have no recollection of that period... I understand. But there is something else, I can see it.”

“They remember me. And only me.”

There was sadness in his voice and the teacher suddenly understood what he was referring to:

“Barbara, Susan and myself didn’t join you. But it doesn’t mean that we went different ways. Maybe we remained on the TARDIS... Or we travelled somewhere else in the meantime?”

“And I would stay here and help those people for so long? No, my dear boy, I don’t think so.”

“Doctor, it hasn’t happened yet. So why do you worry about the future? Isn’t it enough that you worried about what you thought was your past? Try to enjoy your present for once.”

The old man smiled: “Let’s consider it a holiday...”

 

_The End..._


End file.
